Iran unveils rial, foreign-currency tourism credit cards
Trust, seamless payments key to winning over tourists: Salehi-Amiri
Iran on Tuesday unveiled an instant-issuance platform for rial and foreign-currency tourism credit cards, as Tourism Minister Reza Salehi-Amiri called for modern financial infrastructure to make payments easier for international visitors and strengthen their overall travel experience.
The Payval platform, unveiled at the headquarters of Refah Bank in Tehran in the presence of Salehi-Amiri, Cooperatives, Labor and Social Welfare Minister Ahmad Meydari and the bank CEO Esmaeil Lalegani, enables travelers to obtain virtual tourism cards online without an in-person visit.
“Trust-building is more important than the volume of cards,” Salehi-Amiri said, stressing that the quality of a traveler’s experience should be the main measure of the platform’s performance.
The minister said foreign visitors should not have to carry large amounts of foreign currency or struggle with payments for accommodation, restaurants, transportation, shopping and souvenirs in different cities.
“They should be able to use a reliable payment instrument just like a citizen,” he said.
Developed by Danesh Refah Pardis, a Refah Bank subsidiary, the platform provides access to rial and foreign-currency cards through an online registration process. Users can fund a multi-asset wallet and receive a virtual card instantly.
The platform supports holdings in rials, dollars and digital gold, with provisions for converting assets into the currency needed to fund the card. It also offers online services for currency conversion and digital-gold transactions.
Security features include TLS encryption, two-factor authentication, one-time passwords and instant transaction alerts.
Salehi-Amiri urged the operators to establish a continuous mechanism for identifying and resolving technical problems, warning that a poor first experience could discourage travelers from using the service.
He also called for dedicated support points at major airports, including those in Tehran, Mashhad, Isfahan and Shiraz, so visitors can receive immediate assistance if they encounter problems with the card or platform.
The minister said neighboring countries should remain a priority market for Iran’s tourism industry, noting that visitors from neighboring states already travel to Mashhad, northern provinces and other destinations across the country.
Iran has received more than 12.2 million foreign tourists over the past two years, Salehi-Amiri said, while the country has set a target of 15 million visitors under the Seventh Development Plan.
The ministry also said Refah Bank has allocated six trillion rials to help address part of the financial pressures and losses faced by tourism and handicraft businesses. Salehi-Amiri said the Payval platform should ultimately connect hotels, travel agencies, accommodation providers, transport services and retailers into a more seamless payment network.
The initiative, he said, goes beyond a financial tool and can help shape visitors’ perceptions of Iran by making everyday services “smooth, smart and reliable.”